Circular knitting machine



June 13, 1939. J. H. MILLER ET AL 2,151,880

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE l Filed May 6, 1938 12 Sheets-Sheer?l l INVENTORS w. q y BY l ATTORNEY June 13, 1939. J. H. MILLER ET Al.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 6,1938 '12 sheets-sheet 2 I yA.' `I v INVENTQRS @JW eek) BY A'rToRNEY' June 13, 1939. J. H. MILLER ET AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 4Filed May 6. 1938 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 13, 1939. J. H. MILLER E- AL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1938 .l2 Sheets-Sheet 4 WGW@ wwf N MVQNVENTORS ATTORNEY June 13,A 1939. J. Hf MILLER r-:T A1. 2,161,880

CIRCULAR K/NTTING' MACHINE Filed May 6, 1958 12 Shee'bS-Sheel'I =5 INVENTORS @en y June`l3, 1939. J. H MILLER ET Al. I 2,161,880 l CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE AFiled May 6, 1958 12 Sheets-Sheet f6 INVE T E ORS ATTORNEY June 13, 1939. J. H. MILLER ET AL 2,151,880

CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINE Filed May 6, 1938 l2 Sheets-Sheet 7 ATTORNEY June 13, '1939.' 1H. 'MILLER ET AL. 2,161,880

' CIRCULAR KNITTING.MACHINEl I Filed May 6, 1958 12 Sheets-Sheet 8 Jgd 3.9@ A

ATTORNEY 12 sheets-sheet ls ATTORNEY J. H. MILLER Er A1.

I CIRCULR KNITTING MACHINE June 13, 1939.

Filed May 6, 193s J. H. MILLER ETAL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE June 13, 1939.

Filed May 6, 1938 l2 SheetS-Sheetl0 fNvENToRS ATToRNEY Jun'l3, 1939. J, H. MILLER ET Al. ,l 2,151,880

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE l ,Filed May 6., 193B l2 Sheets-Sheet ll l I l l 14 [j I 5 V l, A .3295 75 llvlllmm'lmn J I l t um ATTORNEY June 13, 1939. H M|| ER ET AL 2161,88()

CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINE Filed May 6, 1958 vl2 Sheets-Sheet 12 l Patented June 13, 1939 2,161,880 CIRCULAR KNITTING MAcnmE John H. Miller, Paul L. Thurston, and Lee W.

` Poole, Martinsburg, W. Va., assignors to Interwoven Stocking Company, New Brunswick, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 6, 193g, Serial No. 206,464

13 lClaims.

Our inventionconsists inthe novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the same, selected by us for purposes of illustration, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Our invention consists in improvements in a circular, or seamless knitting machine of 4the type in which two coaxial cylinders located one above the other are employed, in connection with a circular series of needles, each having a hook and latch at each end, the needle grooves of the coaxial cylinders being in vertical alignment so that all of the needles may be operated in conjunction with suitable cam mechanism in one cylinder, as the lower cylinder, for knitting plain knit fabric, Awhile selected needles may be transferred verticaly into the-grooves of the upper. cylinder 2 while retaining the stitches thereon and caused to knit at their opposite ends in conjunction with the non-selected needles remaining in the lower cylinder for the production of rib knitting, and for other purposes hereinafter explained. Our invention is directed more particularly to the provision of means in a machine of this type whereby an elastic thread may be introduced within and during the formation of a tubular welt at the upper end of a form-iitting and self-supporting 3o top of a sock or anklet, said top being thereafter formed of plain knitting with an elastic thread introduced, under tension, in certain courses, preferably spaced by. an intervening course or courses not containing the elastic thread, the elastic thread being united to the plain knit fabric at spaced points in each course containing it, and vbeing oated on the inner face of the fabric between such points, so as to form substantially continuous horizontal beads on the inner face of the fabric, which indent the esh of the wearer when the sock or anklet is worn and support the leg of the stocking with minimum tension and without inconvenience to the wearer, the machine being constructed to incorporate the elastic thread in the selected courses of the top in any one of several ways hereinafter more particularly described. The machine i's constructed to knit the leg portion and top'of the foot by either plain knitting or rib knitting with any desired rib pattern and to form the heel and toe pockets and the sole of the foot in the usual manner to complete the sock or anklet. In the accompanying drawings wehave illustrated'so much of a machine of the `type described, made by the Bentley Engineering Company of Leicester, England, and known as the Komet knitting machine, as is necessary for a complete understanding of our invention shown embodied therein.

In the accompanying drawings, 5

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion a knitting machine embodying our invention.

Fig. la is a modiiied form of cam wheel which may be used in lieu of the corresponding cam wheel shown in Fig. 1. 10

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine, parts not relevant to our present invention being omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of part of the mechanism for operating the special pattern l5` wheel which controls the selecting cam of the lower cylinder for selecting the needles which receive the elastic thread in the formation of the plain knit top, Athe pattern wheel itself being removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of 'the pattern wheel referred to, and the mechanism extending therefrom to the cam operated thereby.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailview of a portion of the apparatus shown at the right in Fig. 4. y Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, taken on the line, 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan viewyparts being indicated in dotted lines, showing the special pattern cam for throwing the shunt cam ofthe lower cylinder into and-out of operative position.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View .of the shunt cam. l

Fig. 9 is an enlarged plan view of the mechanism for moving the drawdown cam of the auxil- 35 iary stitch cam mechanism of the lower cylinder into and out of operative position.

Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view ofA the movable drawdown cam.

Fig. 11 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the pattern cam shown in Fig. 9.,

Fig. 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is an inside view of oneof the cam blocks for the lower cylinder spread out in a 45 plane.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan `view of the feed lfinger for the elastic thread incorporated in the selected courses of the top and the adjacent mechanism for operating it.' l.

Fig. 15 is an elevation on line IB-IU of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a top plan view vof the feed nger for feeding the draw thread and adjacent voperating mechanisms therefor.

Fig. 17 represents a partial vertical the upper and lower cylinders and their respective cam rings. showing all of the needles in the lower cylinder.

Fig. 18 is a similar view showing part of the needles transferred into the upper cylinder.

Fig. 19 represents a plane view of the interior of the lower cam ring with the parts in position to eifect the insertion of the elastic thread without knitting it.

Pig. 20 is a similar view showing a slightly different arrangement of the cams for incorporating the elastic thread and drawing stitches thereof by the selected needles.

Fig. 21 is a similar view showing a different rrnsement of the cams for incorporating the elastic thread by drawing stitches by the selected containing both the elastic and body Fig. 22 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the formation of the tubular welt containing a plurality of rounds ofcelastic thread under tension.

Pig. 23 isa detail diagrammatic inside view of a portion of the fabric of the plain knit top -in which the elastic thread is incorporated without knitting. 4 A

Fig. 24 is a similar view showing a portion of a fabric in which the elastic thread is incorporated and the selected needles draw stitches of elastic thread only.

Fig. 25 is a similar view in which the selected needles draw stitches composed of both body thread and elastic thread.

Fig. 26 is a view of a sock comprising a tubu- -lar welt containing a plurality of rounds of ciastic thread under tension, a continuous plain knit top having elastic thread incorporated in spaced courses, and united to the fabric at separated wales and drawing the fabric into vertically disposed ridges, and having an integral leg and top of the foot formed of 6 x 3 rib.

Fig. 27 is an enlarged diagrammatic sectional view showing the welt and an adjacent portion of the plain knit top.

Referring to the drawings, I2 represents the lower knitting cylinder provided with vertically movable sliders il located in the grooves thereof, and having selecting butts I2 and knitting butts I2 for engaging suitable cams on the cam ring, indicated at il, each of the sliders Il being provided at its upper end with a terminal portion engaging a needle engaging hook I8 and a latch engaging extension Il for connecting the sliders with auch needles as are present in the lower knitting cylinder. 22 represents the upper needle cylinder provided with a series of sliders 2| engaging the grooves thereof and having selecting butts 22 and knitting butts 22 for engaging the upper cam ring 24. 'Ihe upper set of sliders are each provided at their lower 4ends with a terminal portion comprising the needle engaging hook 25 and latch engaging extension 22 for engaging the upper ends of the needles when they are transferred to the upper cylinder. 'Ihe specific construction of these parts and the transfer mechanism by which selected needles are transferred from one cylinder to the other form no part of our present invention. The needles, indicated at 22, are each provided as shown with the usual hook 2l and latch 22 at each end. When the needles are in the lower cylinder their lower hooks will engage the hooks il of the corresponding sliders Il and the extensions l2 will engage the lower latches, so that the needles will be operated by and with the sliders Il. When all the needles 22 are in the lower cylinder, the machine is adiusted for plain knitting. For the production of rib knitting certain of the needles will be transferred to the upper cylinder, for example in making l x 1 rib, every other needle will be transferred to the upper cylinder, while for making 6 x 3 rib, for example, groups of three consecutive needles will be transferred to the upper cylinder in alternation with groups of six consecutive needles, which remain in the lower cylinder.

The cam ring Il for the lower cylinder will be provided with the usual knitting cams adjacent to the throat, which is provided with a plurality of thread feed fingers two of which, 22, 22a. are shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 13 shows a portion of the innerface of the cam ring I4, a portion of the main knitting cams being indicated at i1 therein. At approximately beyond the center of the knitting wave the cam cylinder Il is provided with supplemental knitting cams for acting upon the sliders of selected needles .which are to' receive the elastic thread, thereby producing a supplemental knitting wave. 'Ihe elastic thread 5l is supplied to the selected needles by a supplemental thread guide 24. shown in detail in Fig. 14, which is preferably mounted pivotally so that it can be swung into and out of operative relation with the lower needle cylinder. In connection with the auxiliary or supplemental knitting cams we provide a needle selecting cam 25 movable into and out of operative position, which has an inclined face 35a cooperating with the special -selecting butts of the sliders of the selected needles,

as every second, third, fourth, ith or sixth needle, etc., according to the spacing desired between the points at which the elastic thread is to be united to the fabric in the courses containing it. Some of the sliders in the lower cylinder may `be without selecting butts at all, as certain of the needles will not need to be transferred to the upper cylinder at any time during the normal operation of the machine, or otherwise selected. Other sliders will be provided with selecting butts in different lengths in accordance with the purpose for which the needlesare to be selected, as indicated in Fig. 4.

. It will be understood that the sliders for the lower cylinder will'also be provided withknitting butts, also of different lengths. In Fig. 4 we have indicated the long and short knitting butts i2 and i2a, the short butts operating the needles during reciprocating work in knitting the heel and toe pockets in the usual manner, and a greater number of different lengths of knitting butts may also be provided, as desired. The sliders for the selected needles which are to receive: the velastic thread are provided with special long butts, indicated'at i2b in Fig. "4; of a suitable length to engage the selecting cam 25 when the latter is in operative position, and thus raise the selected needles abovethe remaining needles and intora position to receive the elasticthreadn The selecting cam 25 is preferably mounted on a vertically movable block 25h provided with a pin 25e extending through a vertical slot in the cam ring, and connected'with a spring 2id which normally holds the cam 25 in its lowermost position (see Fig. 4). We provide a special pattern cam wheel 22 on the machine operated from the main pattern shaft of the machine, in the manner hereinafter described for moving the selecting 'cam 25 into and out'of operation. For example, the cam wheel 62, as shown in Pigs. l and 4is provided with aseries of projections 22a so arranged as to move the selecting cam 25 into position after the completion vof three courses lincasso be incorporated in every fourthlcou'rse of ,the-

plain knit top. l If a closerspacing is desired, however, a different cam wheel, as IIb, for-example,

shown in Fig. 1a, having caml projections "c more closely related to produce an elastic incorporated course 'spaced by two intervening courses from the preceding-elastic incorporated course, may be substituted for the wheel 6l and obviously by using the proper cam wheels any desired separation ofthe elastic incorporated courses may be obtained. 'ibove the cam wheel 60 is an actuating lever il Vprovided with a downwardly extending projection lia, to engage the projections of the cam wheel, and this lever is connected by a vertical link Il with the outer end of a horizontal lever 6.8 (see-Fig. 4) pivoted between its ends to a suitable support and hav- 'ing the opposite end engaging a second lever 6I engaging a third lever i6, also pivoted-between its ends and provided with a notched or slotted portion 68a engaging the'pin llc (see Fig. 5)l thus elevating the cam 35 into operative position, as each projection on the cam wheel 6l engages the projection Sia. The outer surfaces of the projections, as Gila, on the cam wheel 6l, are of such length that the cam SE will be maintained in operative position duringa single revolution yo1 the knitting cylinders, after which the lever 6i will be released and the cam 85 will be lowered by its spring 35d to inoperative tion.

In Figs. `1 and 3 we have .shown our preferred -m'eans for operating the cam wheel Bl from the J main drivev shaft l@ of the machine under the control or the main pattern shaft 1l. 'rile main drive shaft carries a wheeil! provided with a cam Il for engaging a friction roll 14a at the upper end of ai lever it pivoted to a xed point on the machine and held in engagement with the cam 13 by a spring 1th. The lever ll is connected by links 15, 15al and a bell crank 15b with Ya pawl carrier itc mounted on the shaft d carrying the cam wheel Eh, and provided with a pawl 75d. This pawl. engages. a ratchet. wheel 60e,

on the shaft 60d, so that each revolution of the main drive shaft l! will rack the' ratchet wheel Ble 'forward one tooth and correspondingly move the pattern wheel 89.

It will be understood that after the top-of the sock or anklet has been completed no further feed of the elastic thread is ordinarily desired until the corresponding portion of another stocking is made, and it is necessary, therefore, to`

hold the mechanism for operating the selecting cam 35 out of operative position until the top" of another sock or anklet is commenced. In order to accomplish this we 4provide' a pivoted locking lever 'I6 lpivoted on the machine' and having one end in position to`enga'ge' a` projection llc on the levervld when the latterfis in engagement with the cam 13,-.as indicated, for example in Fig. i, thus holding the lever 1l in a position where it will be no longer,y acted upon by the cam 13. The opposite endA of the lever II is connected by a link lla with anarm 1l acted on by a spring 11a and operatively connected with a pivoted trip arm 11b, the-upper end .of

which is in position to engage a cam 'lla on the pattern drum 1lb carried by the vmain pattern shaft li, of the machine. The -cam lla isso located that it engages the trip arm 11b atthe instant that it is desired to begin the introducoscillated by the cam 'I3 and impart motion to the pattern wheel il, thus operating the selecting cam 35 in the manner previously described.

Referring-now to Fig. 13 and the cam mechanism therein illustrated, it will be noted that immediately above the selecting cam 35 there is a movable cam 39, which we term a shunt cam, and which in this instance is carried by an arm lla pivoted on a vertical pivot 39h to the cam ring, so as to be swung horizontally in a corresponding aperture in the cam ring, into and out of operative position. When the shunt cam is in operative position,l as indicated in Fig. 13 for example, the knitting butts i3 of all the .sliders 'in the lower cylinder will pass over the shunt cam and be drawn down by the auxiliaryknitting cams 3l and 38, hereinafter referred to. When, however, the selecting cam 35 is in operative position it will be understood that the selected needles only pass over the fixed cam 38, while the non-seiected needles engage the cam 36 and are drawn downward so as not to take the elastic thread. It becomes necessary, therefore, to throw the shunt cam Se out of operative position whenever the selecting cam 35 is moved into operative position. The particular mechanism disclosed herein for accomplishing this result will now be described.

The arm 89a is provided with a short actuating larrn 39e which is connected by a link 3M with one end cfa pivoted lever 39e, the other end of which is provided with a projection 39! adapted to engage a special pattern cam plate or dis'c 8i on a vertical shaft Eil, mounted in a bracket 80a secured to the machine frame, the said cam disc Bi l being provided with a cam projection 86a having aconcentric outer face terminating at one end in a pair of cam grades-Bib, lilc, connected by a The cam shaft 8U is operated from the main pattern mechanism of the machine in the usual manner, which will be hereinafter brieiiy described. In Fig. 'l the parts are shown'ln full lines with the cam 3l in operative position, and it willbe seen that as the cam plate 8i rotates at the proper time, the lower end of lever 39e will be moved outwardly rst by the cam grade Bib to eiect the movement of the cam 39 outwardly, far enough to disengage the short butts, and will then be moved further outwardly by the cam grade 8Ic to move the cam I9 to inoperative relation with the long butts also, this being'desirable to avoid injury to the butts. 'I'he cam will be held out of operation while the projection 39! passes over the peripheral portion of the projection Sla, after which the said projection 301 will be released from the projection Ila and its spring 39g will move the sliders n the lower cylinder, and thus avoiding injury o any of the slider butts.

The mechanism-for imparting rotary motion at the proper time to the vertical cam shaft 80 forms no part of our present invention, but is i1- lustrated in Fig. 1, and in detail in Fig. 6, for .purposes of clearness and will be briefly described. The wheel 12 on the main drive shaft 18 is provided with, two nearly semi-circular side cams 12a, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 6, for the purpose of engaging a horizontally movable pin 82a, carried in a bearing 82b at the outer end of a pivot lever 82, pivoted to the machine frame and capable of swinging so as to move the pin 15,8211 into and out of operative relation with the will impart two movements to the shaft 88 in the direction of the arrow shpwn in Fig. 6. The arm 82 is moved into and out of operative position by means of a projection 1Ic on a pattern Ydrum mounted on the main pattern drum shaft 1|, which engages a sliding rod 86 (See Fig. 1) operatively connected with an arm 82e connected with the arm 82, the connection being preferably a yielding one formed by a spring 86a surrounding the rod 88 and interposed between'the arm 82o and a collar 86h on the rod 88. A second spring 86o operatively connected with the rod 88 holds it in engagement -with the pattern drum carrying the projection 1|c.

'Ill

Just beyond the cam 38 (see Figs. 1, 5, 12 and 13) the cam ring is provided with auxiliary knitting cams 31 and 38 both of which are movable with respect to the cam ring. The cam 31 is carried by a horizontally movable plunger 31a which is operated by the usual mechanism, provided in this machine under the control of a pattern cam disc 88d on theshaft 80 to move this cam into rand out of operative position. This specific mechanism forms no part of -our present invention and will not be furtherdescribed. In the normal operation of themachine, the knitting butts of all of the needles, after passing o'ver the top of the shunt cam when the latter is in operative position, and cam 31 being retracted, will pass onward at that level to the main knitting station.l

- The cam 38 is in reality a part of the auxiliary knitting. cam 31 and is provided with a downwardly extending leading face 38h. This cam 38 is carried by a slide 38a movable in vertical .guides in the cam ring, and in its lowest position, the leading face 38h will form acontinuation of the face 31h of the cam 31, and will draw down the needles, so as to form a stitch and cast oil the preceding stitch held in the hook, while in the upper or inoperative position, shownin Fig. 13 for example, the cam 38 will not draw ,a stitch or cast off a stitch previously held on the needle. I'h'is cam 38 is shown in detail in Fig. 10, and the mechanism for moving it into and out of operation is illustrated in Figs. 5, 9, 10 and 12. The slide 38a is provided with a pin 38o, which is engaged by a short curved arm 38d pivoted to the cam ring. The pin 38o is conveniently provided with a retracting spring 38e normally holding thev cam in the uppermost position, .although this spring is not absolutely necessary, as the needle butts would serve to raise the cam unless it was lowered intov operative position and held, as `hereinafter described.

The shaft 80 is provided with'another cam disc 80e, the normal function of which is to control a feed finger for the introduction of a draw thread to provide for the separation of the individual stockings under the normal operation of the Komet machine. We conveniently provide on the underside of this disc 80e a downwardly extending curved cam 80j (see Figs. 1 and 12 forexample) which at the proper time engages a projection 81a on one end of a lever 81 pivoted to a stationary support and having its opposite end pivotally connected to one end of a second lever 88, the opposite end of which rests upon the pivoted arm 38d. It follows, therefore, that whenever the cam 80! engages the projection 81a (see Fig. 12) the remote end of lever 88 will be depressed carrying with it the pivoted arm 38d and the pin 38C and depressing the cam 38 into its lowest or stitch forming position. The cam 80j is shown in detail in Fig. 11 and its relation to the disc 80e is illustrated in Fig. 9. The length of this cam 88,1 determines the length of time that the cam 38 shall be held inits operative or' stitch forming position, and in some instances, as hereinafter particularly 4pointed out, the cam 80! will be extended to substantially twice the length shown in full lines in Fig. 9 andas indicated in dotted lines in that figure. The vertical cam shaft 80 is provided, ,as shown in Fig. 1, with additional'cam thread feed finger 89 which 'feeds the drawy vthread in the normal operation ofthe machine,

and is swung into and out of operative position by means ofthe cam-disc 88e ontlie vertical cam shaft 80 previously referred to, The specific 'details shown in Fig. 16 form no part of our present invention and need not be, more particularly described. l

In Fig. 14 is illustrated a similar thread feed finger 34 for feeding the elastic thread during the formation of the top of the sock or anklet, and which swings on an axis concentric with the axis of movement of the feed finger 8 8.

89a through the center of which extends'a shaft 34a. to. which the finger 34 is secured. The shaft 34a is provided witha pin 34h engaging a slot in a horizontal slide 34o which is in turn engaged by a cam projection 88h onthe cam disc 88g on the shaft 8D lereinbefore referred to.

As the axes of movement of the feed fingers 34 and 89 are coaxial, and asA both feed fingers are moved to the same feeding position, the feed tilting it to enable it to pass over the feed nger 88. To this end the feed'finger is secured in a clamp 34d mounted on a horizontal pivot with respect to the supporting collar 34e which secures it to the shaft 34a andvhas a projecting end 34f v extending beyond the clamp 34d, which engages a stationary cam 38a. illustrated in detail in Fig.

The` feed finger 89 is mounted on a vertical sleeve A finger 34 is preferably provided with means for 15, so constructed as to effect the tilting of the feed nger 34 as it swings from its inoperative to operative position, and enable it to pass over operation of the machine in knitting` a sock orl anklet, such as is illustrated in Fig. 26, provided with a tubular welt W, containing a plurality of rounds of elastic thread b, and a plain knit top T, having elastic thread 50 incorporated therein, in this instance in every fourth course under tension and united into the fabric at spaced points or wales in each course containing it, the leg L and top of the foot F of the stocking being formed in this instance of 6 x 3 rib, it being understood, however, that the leg and top of the foot may be formed of any other type of rib knitting, or may be formed of plain knitting with or without the introduction of an elastic thread, at the option of the kntter.

In the operation of the machine, the'stocking is knit from the upper end of the top, where the welt is formed, to the toe of the stocking, where it terminates in a series of courses of plain knitting forming the looperv courses for uniting the upper edge of the toe pocket with the opposed edge of the foot portion, in the usual, manner.

It is customary, in the operation of this machine,

- remaining stitches by the intervening needles in the lower cylinder. At the same time that the rst of these courses is commenced the cam disc 80e moves thedraw thread feed finger 89 into operative position tol feed the draw thread, which is preferably of a contrasting color, to the alternate needles in the lower cylinder only. This draw thread is fed during approximately one and a half courses.

To form the welt or selvage after the production of the preceding courses, which are in effect A1 x 1 rib, and with one set of loops on alternate needles in the upper cylinder, and the intervening loops on the intervening needles in the lower cylinder, the upper cam cylinder is automatically adjusted in a'well known way so as not to affect the operation of the needles therein, which simply hold their loops throughout the formation of the welt. The body thread is then fed at the main knitting station by one'of the thread feed ngers, as 33, to the needles in the lower cylluder only, forming circular plain'knit courses, which obviously contain only half the usual number of stitches and which we refer to as welt courses to distinguish them from the regular courses knit on all the needles. A plurality of these welt courses are knit, the number being suillcient to form (the tubular welt of desired size.

We have found ordinarilyl that lapproximately ten to twelve welt courses are sufficient for a narrowwelt, but the number is immaterial and may be varied, according to the size ofthe welt desired,v the size of the body thread employed, the

size of the loops and the number of coils of elastic thread whichare to be inserted inthe welt.

During the knitting of a second welt course, the feed finger 33a at the throat, which is provided with elastic thread under tension, by any suitable tension device 92 interposed between the supply of elastic thread and the feed finger 33a, is moved into action, and in so doing passes first into position to feed the elastic threadA in the hooks of a plurality of the needles in the lower cylinder, suicient to tie in the end of the elastic thread, and thereafter passes beyond this feeding position to a position where the elastic thread will be simply wound around the outside of the fabric being formed by the Welt courses, without being knitted as indicated at h in Fig. 22, the final position of this thread feednger being substantially the same as if it were employed' to lay in an elastic thread during rib knitting between the plain and rib wales, It will be noted that as the elastic thread is wound around the outside of the fabric, it will be under tension, due to the tension device 92 through which it is drawn, and the fabric will be supported by the engagement of the alternate loops in the lower hooks of the needles in the upper cylinder, thus forming a wall or support around which the Ielastic thread may-be wound under the desired tension. Any desired number 'of coils of the elastic thread, indicated at b, may be wound upon the outside of the welt coursesas they are beingformed, according to the size of the welt desired, but it has been found that with a narrow welt, comprising twelve of the said welt courses, four rounds of elastic thread will be sufficient. When the desired number of spirals or rounds b of the elastic thread have been wound around the welt courses, the feeding finger 33a for the elastic thread is withdrawn,

and as it is retracted to its inoperative position, it will again pass through the feeding position in which it feeds the elastic thread to a plurality of the needles of the lower cylinder, thereby tying into the fabric the other end of the' elastic thread." As the feeding of the elastic thread occurs at a point where the needles begin to move downwardly through the knitting wave, the feed finger 33a can be moved past the feeding position and again through the feeding position when returning to inoperative position, ,without interfering with the needles. After the elastic thread has been'discontinue'd and lts end secured, it may be caught by a suitable binder `(not shown) and severed by the usualA cutter with which such binders' are ordinarily provided' while the knitting of the welt courses onthe 4needles heldv in the lower cylinder will continue until the desired number-has been knit.

The needles of the upper cylinder whichhave retained their loops, indicated at a' in Fig. 22, are then transferred downwardly into the grooves of the lower cylinder, accordingto the usual operation lof the machine, and descend through their loops, while a course of 'body thread is fed to the hooks at the upper end of all the needles. The upper sliders are then disengaged from these needles which are .Y drawn down by the lower sliders to cast off the previously'held loops and leave loops which are now heldf'in the hooks at the upper ends of said needles, thus restoring the machine to the condition for knitting plain fabric' on all the needles of the entire-circular series,

. and connecting the edges of thetubular welt W (Figs. 26 and 27) containing the` series of elastic rounds or coils b, as clearly indicated in Fig. 27.

The elastic welt herein shown and described.

, self-supporting beads and the process of knitting it, are not specifically claimed herein as the welt itself forms the subject matter of the application of John'H. Miller and Frank Evans for Improvements in hosiery. iiled in the United States Patent Oiiice on March 17, 1937 and given Serial No. 131,396, and the Process of knitting forms the subject matter of an application of the said John H. Miller and Frank Evans, flied in the United States Patent Otllce on August 21, i937 and given Serial No. 160,246, which application is a division of application Serial No. 131,396.

After the completion of the welt as previously described, the feed finger 33a is drawn out of operation in the usual manner under the control of the pattern mechanism. leaving the feed linger 3l which feeds the body thread 5l. We prefer to make one or two courses of plain knitting with the body thread on all the needles in the lower cylinder before the introduction of an elastic thread in the top of ghe stocking, but this is immaterial. As a matter of fact, we preferto knit two plain knit courses after which the various pattern cams hereinbefore described are actuated i'or the purpose vof throwing the elastic thread feed :linger u into operation with the lower cylinder needles, and to make the necessary 'changes in the cams in the cam ring for the lower cylinder, in order to form the top of the sock or anklet with the elastic thread incorporated in spaced courses thereof,` and united to the fabric uf,the top at spaced points in each of the courses containing it. There are three different ways in which the elastic thread may beso `incorporated and united to the fabric any one of which -can be accomplished in the operation of the machine described.

According to one method. the selected needles (in this case every fourth needle) which knit the wales at which the elastic thread is to be united 'to the fabric, are raised above the intervening needles by the cam Il and the elastic thread, which is delivered to the feed finger I4 under the desired tension, by drawing it through any preferred form of tension device 93 so that it will be taken by the selected needles below their v latches. This may be accomplished by feeding the thread below the latches directly to the selected needles or by laying the elastic thread on the latches, and subsequently elevating 'the needles so that the latches may becarried above the elastic thread. The intervening needles and the selected needles are then brought to the same level, either by drawing down the selected needles or elevating the non-selected needles, and the non-selected needles will obviously pass in front of the elastic threadr The body thread is then fed to the hooks of all the needles which draw stitches -of the body thread, with the result that the elastic thread is cast oil on the selected needles and nrmly held by the surrounding body thread atthe wales produced by the selected needles. and is oated on the back of the fabric between the selected needles, to form the annular previously referred tc herein.

According to another method of operation the elastic thread is fed into the hooks' of the selected needles by the thread feed finger I4 and loops of the elastic thread are immediately drawn by the selected needles under the action ofthe auxiliary knitting cam, the selected needles casting oif the loop of body thread held thereon. Thereafter, at the main knitting station, the body threadv is fed to the hooks of all of the needles so that the selected needles will draw loops of body thread through the previously formed loops of the elastic thread. In this case the tension of the elastic thread will cause it to straighten out, and in this case also the elastic thread will be floated on the back of the fabric between the wales in which it is united to the fabric and form the selfsupporting beads previously referred to.

According to a third method of operation of the machine, the elastic thread is fed by the thread feed linger 34 to the hooks of the selected needles which are prevented from drawing stitches until they arrive at the main knitting station, when the body thread is fed to all of the needles with the result that the selected needles draw stitches formed of both the body thread' and the elastic thread and unite the elastic thread to the fabric at the wales formed by the selected needles, while the elastic thread is floated between the wales. formed by the selected needles on the inner face ofthe fabric to form the horizontal self-supporting beads above referred to. In this case also the tension of the elastic thread will cause it to straighten out in the fabric and produce a slight distortion of the surrounding stitch elements formed by the body thread, but without impairing the general appearance of the fabric. The three modes of operation of the machinewiil now be described. Assuming thattheelasticthreadistobelaid in without knitting, in accordance with the first mode of operation above described, and referring toFig. 13, itwillbentothrowoutof operation the shunt cam 3l' and to bring into operation intermittently the selecting cam I5. It will alsobe necessary that the portion of the auxiliary'knitting cam 3l which eects the drawing of a stitch shall be in the raised position. In Fig. 19 we have shown the arrangement of the cams of the cam ring for the lower cylinder to carry out this mode of operation. By the operation of the parts illustrated in Fig. 7, the shunt cam is moved by the two grades Bib and lic acting upon arm 39e and its connections, to the outermost inoperative rpodtion shown in dotted hues, and not shown in Fig. 19 for greater clear-4 ness. The'position of the selecting cam e and its connections, shown in Figs. 9 and 11, is such that the cam 3l is in its uppermost position, -and by the action of the cam lla (111g. 1) the lever i4 hasbeenreleased soastobeoperatedbythe cam 13, and through the ratchet wheel e imparts rotation to the pattern wheel Il, which as previously stated, is set to raise the selecting cam I and hold it raised during every fourth revolution of the machine. The inclined face'lla of the cam II, as before stated. engages the special longbutts I2b on the sliders of the selected needles, thereby raising their knitting butts Il (or l3a) to s, higher level than the butts of the non-selected needles, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 19. While in this elevated podtion the elastic thread will be fed by the nger Il to the raised needles only, so that it will pass below the latches thereof. In the present instance the elastic thread is laid on the latches o! the selected .the butts of the selected needles will pass over the, top of cam 36 and engage the forward face Ilb of the draw-down cam 31 and pass down and needles, but as before stated. this is not imbeneath said face, but as the movable cam 33 is in its raised position, .the butts of the selected needles will not pass downward as faras the butts of the non-selected needles. All of the needles are raised to aV common level by` the riser cams, indicated at 90 and 9|, bringing them to a common level before they reach the main knitting cams,v which are of usual or any preferred construction, and are indicated at I1, |1a, llb, I1c. It will be understood that as the nonselected needles are raised to the level of the selected needles, they will pass in front of the elastic thread. At the main knitting station or throat of the machine, all of the needles will take the main knitting-thread 5| from one of the throat thread feed fingers, as the nger 33, and each needle of an entire series will draw a stitch of the body thread. As the selected needles draw'thelr stitches, the'elastic thread will pass over the closed latchesJJ thereof and be cast oif, leaving the elastic thread secured-in the fabric at each selected needle, in'the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 23, in which the elastic thread is indicated at and the body thread at 5|. 50h represents one of the wales at which the elastic thread 50 is united to the. fabric and 50a represents the portions of the elastic thread which are floated on the inner face of the fabric between the wales formed by the selected needles. It will be understood that the elastic thread being fed under tension, as soon as the'fabric is released 'from the needles, the tension of the elastic thread will draw the fabric together, producing vertical rib-like ridges, indicated at t in Figs. 26 and 27. Y

After a course containing the elastic thread has been knit, as above described, the projection Sla on the lever 6| will pass oi of the projection a of the pattern wheel 50 andthe selecting cam 35 will be drawn down to its inoperative position, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 19, where it will remain during the formation of three succeeding courses of plain knitting (or ysuch other interval. as may be imposed by the lparticular pattern wheel 60 or 60h 4in use). During these intervening courses the knitting butts |3 of all the needles will pass beneath the cam 38 and none of -the needles will be raised, consequently none of them -will receive the elastic thread, the portion of which united in the last wale of. the preceding course containing it, will be carried around the cylinder. After the intervening courses have.

been completed, the next projection 53a on the pattern wheel 80 will again elevate the selecting cam 35 and produce another course of stitches ln which the elastic thread will be incorporated at the selected needles, in the manner' previously described. 'Ihis sequence of events follows throughout the knitting of all of the courses of the plain knit top which may beof greater or less length and consequent number of courses, according to whether it is the top of a full length or three quarter sock or anklet, as the case may be. Upon the completion of the top. the pattern wheel 1| will have rotated to such an extent as to reelase the lever 11b from the Acan; projection 1|a and operate the locking lever 15, so as to lock the lever 14 out of operative relation with the cam 13 on the wheel 12 of the main drive shaft, thus terminating, during the remainder of the knitting of the sock, and until-another top is to be made, the alternate movements of the selecting cam 35 into and out of operative posit'ion. At the same time the patterncam 33a (Fig. 14) is moved to such a position yas to permit the retracting spring 33h to return the elastic feed finger 3l to inoperative position. where it likewise remains until another plain knit top is to be formed. At the same time the pattern cam 33d will have to move to sucha position as to permit the auxiliary knitting cam 31 to be drawn so that the knitting butts of the needles, whether knitting a plain leg or a rib leg, will pass over the shunt cam and directly across it, level to the main knitting cam at the main knitting station where a single feed or plating feed is employed. At the conclusion of the knitting of the top, the shunt cam 39 is returned to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 13, and the auxiliary knitting cam section `is withdrawn from operative position, so that the knitting ofthe leg may continue as an integral part of the top, by plain knitting if desired, or b y means of the usual transfer devices with which the machine is provided, certain ofthe needles may be transferred from the lower cylinder to the upper cylinder Aand any desired type of rib knitting'vmay be carried out forthe remainder of the leg. The knitting of the heel, foot and toe portions of the stocking will be carried out in accordance with the usual operation of the machine, the top of the foot being knit of the same type of fabric as that in the leg, and these portions of the stocking will not be further referred to. At the completion of the toe, the usual loopingicoursesof plain knitting will be made, followed by the insertion of the draw thread, in the manner previously described, and the machine is ready to duplicate the preceding operation. g

l Assuming now that it isdesired to secure the elastic thread in the fabric at spaced points in the spaced courses in which it is introduced by actually drawing a stitch of the elastic thread and casting off the stitch of body thread held on the selected needles, the setting of the cams in the cam ring for the lower-cylinder will be exactly the same as that previously described and illustrated in Fig. 19, except that the cam 33! will bebrought into 'operation te depress the auxiliary knittingv cam section 33 to its lowest position, bringing its forward face 33h into alignment with theforward face 31h of the auxiliary cam section 31. This arrangement of the cams is clearly illustrated in Fig. 20. With this ar- 'rangementof the cams, and assuming that the elastic thread feed nger 34 has been moved into operative position, it will be seen that the selecting butts |2b of the sliders for the selected needles will ride up the cam 35 and raise the selected needles, as before, to receive thev elastic thread, the needle butts I3 of the selected' needles will pass down the draw-down Aface 31h of cam 31, and the drawdown face '33h of cam 3l, thereby carrying the elastic thread into the hooks of the selected needles, causing each of them to drawa stitch of elastic thread and cast oil?A the loop of body thread previously carried thereby. The needles will then be brought to the same level as previously described, by'means of the riser cams 30 and 9|, thereby bringing the non-se- .lected needles forward of the elastic thread, and

at the main knitting station all, of the needles will receive the body thread as before ,from the thread feed finger 33, and passing through the knitting wave will draw stitches of body thread. In this case the selected needles will drawa stitch* of body thread only at the main knitting wave 24, in which 53e represents the loops of elastic thread drawn through the preceding loop Ilal of body thread.

Obviously this construction unites the elastic thread into the fabric at each of the selected needl in each course in which the elastic thread isintroduced. Fig. 24, however, shows in a diagrammatic manner what theoretically happens when the stitches are formed in the manner described. As a matter of fact, the tension of the elastic thread causes it to straighten out, as indicated in thedottedlines in Hg. 24, as soon as the fabric is released from the needles. so that it lies in a horizontal position substantially without deilection in the top of the stocking, and the floated portions between the wales formed by the needlesiwhich draw the loops of .elastic thread form the self horizontal beads onthe inner face ofthe fabric operating in the same manner as previously described. to support the u legofthesockuponthelegofthewearer.

At the conclusion of the formation of the top, theselectingcamllisreturnedtoitsinoperativeposition,asisthecam3l.andthecam I1 is also withdrawn to facilitate the production of uthelegandremainderofthestockinginthe manner previmislydescribed. The elastic thread feednngeruislikewisereturnedtoitsinoperative position. y

In carrying out this operation, if it is desired to'feed the elastic threadat a higher point in the previmislydescribedoperation, in ordertoinsureitsbeingreceivedinthehookoftheneedle, this can readily be accomplished byadjusting the stationary cam a (Pig. vertically by means ofthesetscrewuwhichsecuresittoastarting post as shown in Fig. 14.

In carryingout the third mode of operation for the formation of the elastic incorporated top, inwhichtheelasticthreadisfedtothe selected needlesonlyinplatingrelation withthebody thread,thesett`ingofthecamswillbeasindi cated in Pig. 21. 'Ihe shunt cam Il will be out ofoperationasinbothoftheprecedingmodes of operation, and the needle selecting cam 3l will be alternately moved into and out of operative relation for each course in which the elastic thread is to be incorporated. In this case, however. the cam d controlling the auxiliary knitting cam element 31 is so constructed as to permit the withdrawal of this cam under the action of its spring 31a at the of the knitting of' thetop. Itwillbeunderstoodthatthedisccams IIb, llc. Ilo. lld and e are detachably totheshaftllandheldinplace byacap i andsetscrewlli,sothat.thesedisccamscanbe readily changed as desired. or individually adiusted upon the shaft Il, where a different operation of the parts controlled thereby is desired, without changing the other Aparts of the machine.

.o It will also be understood that the cam element Il will be in its uppermost or inoperative ,position. With -this arrangement of the cams, as clearly shown in Pig. 21, the butts l2b of the selected needles will engage the selecting cam and'elevate these needles. which thereupon receive the elastic thread in their hooks from the thread feed finger u in the manner previously described.V As the cylinder rotates, the knitting butts Il of the non-selected needles will pass down the leading or forward face of the drawdown cam 8l, while the knitting butts Il of the se lected needles will pass horizontally in front of the inoperative draw-down cam 31 and over the top' of the cam Il and on that level to the main knitting station. The non-selectedneedles will be'raised by the riser cams 9| and sitas before described. up in front of the elastic thread and bringing all of the needlesl to the same level. At the main knitting station `or throat all of the needles receive the body thread 5i from one of the throat feed fingers. as the fingern, and passing through the knitting wave draw stitches of the body thread. 'Ihe selected needles. however, will draw stitches composed of both the body thread and the elastic thread. as clearly indicated in Fig. 25, thus uniting the elastic thread to the fabric at the spaced wales formed by the selected needles, as indicatedat "b in Fig. 25, for example. the portions of the elastic thread between the wales formed by the selected needles forming floats on the inside of the fabric forming parts of the self-supporting beads hereinbefore referred to.

llig.- 25. like Fig. 24, shows the theoretical formation of the stitch produced by the selected needles in the spaced courses containing the elastic thread. In this case, however, as in Fig. 24, as soon as the fabric is released from the needles the tensionl of the elastic thread Il causes it to straighten out in the fabric, thereby producing a slight distortion of the surrounding portions of body thread, which, however, is not sufficient to be unduly noticeable in the fabric.

At the termination of the knitting of the top. the cam projection 'Ila will have passed out of engagement with the lever 11b, permitting 4the locking of the lever 'il in inoperative position and terminating the intermittentl movement of the selecting cam 3i into and out of operation by the cam wheel 6l. At the same time the proiection Ila on the cam disc Ii will restore the shunt cam Il to its operative position and the cam disc llg will permit thespring 34h to re-A store the elastic thread finger tive position. A

In each of the. operations above described.

Il to its inoperawhen the elastic'thread feed finger Il moves 'to inoperative position, the elastic thread is pref-- erably caught and held in a binder (not shown) at the point indicated at X in Fig. 14, which binder -will ordinarily be provided with a cutter for severing the thread. 'Ihe binder thus holds the end of the elastic thread until the next plain knit top is to be formed. 'Ihe same provision is made in connection with the draw-thread which. when the draw-thread feed linger is moved to inoperative position, carries the thread into a binder located at the point marked at Yin Hg. 16. where it is held and severed in like manner. 'Ihese binding and cutting mechanisms are'of known form and operation, and form no part of our present invention.

It will be imderstood that we do not limit ourselves to the exact details of the mechanism for eecting the operation of the'various parts of the machine herein described to produce the desired operations thereof, as modifications in the speciilc construction of such mechanisms maybe made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

No claim is made herein to the fabric forming the top 'of the stocking in4 any of the forms described,'nor to the processor method by' which such fabrics are produced. these r'fabrics forming the subject matter of the application for Letters4 Patent of the United Statesof John H. Miller 4 and Frank mans, filed March 5, 1937 and given Serial No. 129.206 and the or methods of forming fabrics.- forming the subject 

